Endoscopy Services are available at all three of our hospitals: Lexington, Saratoga & Wellington.

Endoscopy allows the clinician to see anatomical structures in the horse and is a key tool in diagnosing many conditions. They are commonly used to examine and evaluate the upper respiratory tract, upper gastrointestinal tract, urethra and bladder and the uterus in the mare. Both portable fiber optic endoscopy and video endoscopy are available at Rood & Riddle.

Fiber optic endoscopy consists of a bundle of optical fibers (very narrow glass threads) inside a waterproof rubber tube. Bright light produced by a connected light source is transmitted along the fibers to illuminate the area of the horse to be examined and then back along the fiber bundles to the eyepiece, where it is available for one person to view at a time.

The video endoscope is equipped with a microchip camera at the tip of the scope. Its image is transmitted electronically back along the scope to a television monitor. Better light management and computer technology lead to a brighter and clearer image that can be viewed by several people simultaneously on the monitor. This allows the client to see these anatomical structures during the exam, which helps to strengthen the client’s understanding of the nature of their horse’s condition.

Video endoscopy also has recording capabilities providing video image copies for medical records, clients, referring veterinarians, or for outside consultations when requested.